Gaza surf movement explored in documentary
Film News
'God Went Surfing With The Devil' lands on DVD
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 22 April, 2011 : - - Los Angeles -- Surf culture is not something usually considered in context to the Palestinian city of Gaza. But for the surfers of the Gaza Strip, Al Deira beach is a refuge where the allure of the surf allows them to forget 'the situation.'
A story in the Los Angeles Times about a rag-tag group of Arabic surfers inspired surfing legend, Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, to bring a dozen surf boards into the besieged country on a Surfing 4 Peace mission. GOD WENT SURFING WITH THE DEVIL, filmed in the spring 2008, tells the epic journey of the Surfing 4Peace emissaries, while they attempt to deliver an additional 23 surfboards to Gaza during a particularly violent time. The film will be released on DVD/digital platforms on May 24, 2011 with the DVD featuring the making-of and a photo journal.
Directed by professional skateboarder-turned filmmaker, Alexander Klein, the film documents the struggles and triumphs in catching a perfect wave in an imperfect land and the brotherhood that exists among surfers. Surfing 4 Peace founded in the Summer of 2007 by “Doc” Paskowitz, Arthur Rashkovan, an Israeli surfer and surf-industry professional, Dorian’s son David Paskowitz and 8-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, is not a formal organization, but rather a community of concerned surfers and supporters that aims to bridge cultural and political barriers between surfers in the Middle East.
Klein and his team followed the Surfing4Peace crew to Gaza in 2008, when the borders had been locked down due to an escalation in violence. Military activity and violence has become part of daily life for the people of Gaza and Klein’s lens brings the difficulties and dangers encountered by the surfers on both sides of the political and cultural spectrum to technicolor life. Klein and crew dodged rocket fire and evaded arrest in his quest to capture the surfers’ stories while interviewing Jewish-Israelis, Arab-Israelis, and Palestinians affected by the violence.
This is the directorial debut for Klein, a graduate from UC Berkeley. Klein, who began his career as a professional skateboarder says, “My basic hope is that this film inspires viewers to once again believe in peace, just to get in the mindset that it's possible. Cynicism is a destructive and self-fulfilling state of mind, but as the young surfers of GOD WENT SURFING WITH THE DEVIL show, a little love and optimism can create huge waves of change for the future”.
The film won the "Duke Spirit" award at the California Surf Film Festival and was an official selection at Palm Beach Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival, Globians DocFest Berlin and Hawaii International Film Festival.
SYNOPSIS: In 2006, when Israel sealed off the borders into the region, that ended the free-flow of people and goods. Shortly thereafter, it emerged that a small group of young men were surfing in Gaza, sharing battered surfboards and used gear. From first-time director, Alexander Klein, comes an inspirational film that charts the difficulties and dangers encountered by surfers in Gaza and how a non-profit group would attempt to deliver 23 surfboards into the region. Along the way, Israelis, Arab-Israelis and Palestinians who are affected by the violence, speak candidly about their daily struggle to supercede the conflict through the pure joy of surfing.
DVD DETAILS:
SRP: $19.95 | TRT: 84 minutes
PreBook: 4/12/11 | Street Date: 5/24/11
UPC: 881394111622 | Catalog: CLS 1116
Genre: Documentary/ Politics
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
• Entering the War Zone - The Making of God Went Surfing with the Devil
• Production Photo Journal with Audio Commentary
• Original Ending
